Today we’d like to introduce you to Silvana Andrade.
Hi Silvana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am a pug mom.
I am a coffee addict (I own five coffee machines).
I am an only child.
I’m bilingual.
I am the owner and creative director of Yours Truly Picnics.
You could say I got to where I am today because I have always been that one friend that is always planning parties, gatherings, and date nights. Since I was a kid, I loved creating vision boards with all the deets to events I wanted to host, but I never imagined I would be doing what I LOVE.
Last year, one of my best friends wanted to celebrate her boyfriend’s birthday but didn’t know how because of COVID, so she called me asking for help. Long story short, we created the cutest pescatarian charcuterie board together and a picnic at home for them, and her boyfriend LOVED IT! She sent me the cutest message thanking me so much for all the help and Venmoed me saying she couldn’t have done it without me, which I wasn’t expecting at all. You could say that was the moment when I realized I could turn my passion for events and creating spaces that take people to another place into an actual business; and that’s how Yours Truly Picnics was born!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road hasn’t been smooth at all, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything! When I first started my business, I had no idea that it would require so much work and dedication. In my head, I was just going to plan date nights, weddings, bachelorette parties the way I did for my friends and it was all going to be so much fun… Little did I know that running a luxury picnic company doesn’t compare!
I would say my biggest struggle was doubting myself and comparing my work to other luxury picnic businesses. I would see photos of their setups and they were all boho, and that isn’t so much my vibe which made me wonder how people would react or feel about my picnics. I guess you could say I was afraid of introducing a new style. I kept asking myself things like “what if no one likes my vibe?” or “do I need to stick to the boho vibe to help my business succeed?”. I even considered replacing my inventory at times because of this, so I had to constantly remind myself to just trust my gut and go for it.
Another big struggle I encountered was how little information/ resources there are for my type of industry! This definitely was frustrating because it seemed like no matter how much research I would do to gather the right permits and paperwork, I still had a million unanswered questions.
Marketing my business at first was also challenging. Like I said, the luxury picnic industry is still pretty new, and even though it is popping on IG & TikTok, there are lots of people who don’t use social media at all and don’t know anything about luxury picnics, so imagine trying to market a new business and a new industry at the same time, it definitely feels like double the work!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Yours Truly Picnics?
Yours Truly Picnics specializes in luxury picnics, tablescaping, backdrops, and events. Our luxury picnics are definitely the most popular service we provide. They are an intimate experience, and they are perfect for date nights, bachelorette parties, baby showers, girl’s night, micro-weddings, literally anything! We can set up at a park or by the water to give it the classic picnic vibe, but we can also set up at homes, hotels, rooftops… Like I said literally anywhere!
If you ever work with Yours Truly Picnics, you’ll notice that with us, your dream is ours too!
I know how important it is that your special day reflects what you’re celebrating by mostly who you are!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I see our industry growing and expanding! The luxury picnic industry took off because of social media, and I see social media thriving and growing even more! Within the next 5-10 years, I’m sure there will be new social media platforms such as TikTok or Instagram that will help promote our industry.
There will definitely be changes and new trends as social media grows, but the cool thing about luxury picnics is that they can be customized to match any theme or trend! We’ve done RED picnics when T Swift dropped her album! We even had a Squid Game that came out gorgeous!
Pricing:
- Our picnic packages start at $179 for two hours, and you can expect the perfect date night!
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@yourstrulypicnic.com
- Website: yourstrulypicnic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yours.trulypicnics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourstrulypicnic/
Image Credits
Adrienne Vasquez Imagery
